Sep 17, 2015

James Seay, president of Premier Rides Inc., an amusement ride manufacturer in Baltimore, Maryland, has received the prestigious ASTM International 2015 William T. Cavanaugh Memorial Award. ASTM President James Thomas presented the award to Seay at the board of directors meeting of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) on Sept. 16 in Alexandria, Virginia. 

The Cavanaugh Memorial Award commemorates W. T. Cavanaugh, chief executive officer of ASTM from 1970 to 1985, who firmly established ASTM International as the world leader in the development and dissemination of voluntary consensus standards. Seay was honored for his extraordinary contributions to the field of international voluntary standards for the amusement industry.

A member and past chairman of ASTM Committee F24 on Amusement Rides and Devices, Seay has promoted the use, application, harmonization and adoption of ASTM amusement standards around the world. The committee maintains a strong international membership because of his efforts, which have contributed to the voluntary global use of ASTM standards for safer amusement attractions in countries all over the world. His contributions have also helped promote F24’s responsive development of standards for newer attractions such as ziplines and trampoline parks in recent years. Seay has been an ASTM member since 1989.

A graduate of Cornell University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Seay also completed graduate studies at California State University in Long Beach. He was an aerospace engineer at Hughes Aircraft and an engineering and maintenance executive at Six Flags Theme Parks Inc., before joining Premier Rides in 1995 as executive vice president of engineering. He was named president the following year. A designer and manufacturer of roller coasters and other amusement rides and attractions, Premier Rides has worked with some of the largest theme park companies, including Six Flags, Universal Studios and Disney. Seay leads a global team of ride design, operation and maintenance professionals who have helped create and introduce magnetically launched roller coasters and the world's tallest looping coaster, among many other accomplishments.

Seay has testified before the U.S. Congress during a review of the effectiveness of the U.S. standards system, and he is a frequent speaker at amusement industry events all over the world. A member of IAAPA, he serves on the IAAPA Foundation board of directors as well as its government relations and safety committees. He received the prestigious IAAPA Lifetime Service Award in 2013 for his long-term industry achievements and dedication.

In addition to ASTM, Seay is also a member of the AIMS International board, which provides the largest industry safety seminar in the world, as well as the Themed Entertainment Association, National Safety Council, New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and New Jersey Amusement Association. He also serves on a number of philanthropic boards, such as the Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland.

ASTM PR Contact: Erin K. Brennan, tel: +1.610.832.9602; ebrennan@astm.org

Release #9913